By IRNA,
London : A broad coalition of politicians, trade unionists, lawyers, religious leaders and peace campaigners joined together Thursday to issue a warning about the rise of Islamophobia in Britain.
“We cannot stand by and watch this continue without remark or action,” said the alliance, led by former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, and several MPs, peers and members of the European Parliament.
“We are concerned by the rise of Islamophobia, the negative coverage of Muslims in the media, the violent street mobilisations of extreme rightwing organisations like the English Defence League (EDL), and the rising electoral support for the British National party,” their joint letter said.
Their warning comes after MPs, including former ministers joined numerous organisations in condemning the latest anti-Muslim protest held by the extreme right-wing EDL in Bolton, north-west England last Saturday.
The joint letter, published in the Guardian newspaper Thursday, likened the Islamophobic hysteria to anarchists attempting to march against the Jewish community in the 1930s and said that they “cannot allow this terrible history to repeat itself.”
“In the run-up to the general election, all parts of the population should be actively encouraged to exercise their votes. That is democracy,” it said.
The coalition called solidarity and support among pro-democracy organisations that “work to encourage political participation from all sections of society, including Muslims, and condemn those who seek to undermine it.”